Shuttle box



June 3, 1952 H. HOEBER 2,599,108

SHUTTLE BOX Filed Jan. 28, 1947 3 SheetsSheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

Barbara OJMHae/Oer and llz'a'm Z'fieaaf. Exeauiors ATTORNEYS June 3, 1952 HOEBER 2,599,108

SHUTTLE BOX Filed Jan. 28, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N V EN TOR. f/av'o/a z /oebew, Deceased By B aria/a QW/woefiar and T/lz'zkbm 7IReac4 E'x e (Lu/01's A T TORNEY S- H. HOEBER SHUTTLE BOX June 3, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 28, 1947 d may m a w m .Z 205 T M ,H, A 4 www a V Mae 4 Z 4 L r o la, 5 4 a .1 & W B

Patented June 3, 1952 SHUTTLE BOX Harold Hoeber, deceased. late of Dartmouth, Mass., by Barbara 0. W. Hoeber and William T. Read, executors, Dartmouth, Mass., assignors, by mesnc assignments, to Hoosac Mills Corporation,.Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application January 28, 1947, Serial No. 724,726

9 Claims. 1

The present invention relates generally to shuttle boxes for looms and, as illustrated herein, relates more particularly to mechanism for controlling the pressure of the binders in such shuttle boxes.

In modern high speed looms, picking ofthe shuttle begins before the lay reaches the midportion of its rearward movement and the shuttle enters the shuttle box on the other side of the loom after the lay has reached back center and has begun its forward movement and the shuttle is usually completely boxed shortly before the lay has reached the forward limit of its forward movement. The shuttle box in which the shuttle is boxed includes a front box plate and a back binder which is pivotally supported at its outer end. The binder is provided with a swell which is engaged by the incoming shuttle and which causes the binder to rock rearwardly against the pressure of a binder spring and against the pressure of the protector rod spring. The pressure of the binder spring and the protector rod spring does not vary appreciably, and as a result, the shuttle must enter a relatively tight box since substantial pressure must be maintained on the protector rod to insure that the dagger on the protector rod will be maintained in protecting position until the shuttle has entered the shuttle box a distance sufficient to operate the protector mechanism. Increase in loom speed necessarily requires increased protector rod spring pressure. Thus, in order to obtain adequate protection, substantial increased pressure is applied to the binder as the speed of loom increases. This pressure causes difliculties in operation since a large amount of power is necessary to pick the shuttle out of the shuttle box and to drive it completely home into the shuttle box on the other side of the loom.

A reduction in pressure applied to the binder at the time that the shuttle is checked results in a substantial reduction in the power required to pick the shuttles across the loom. If less power is required, then there will be a reduction in speed of the shuttle as it enters the opposite shuttle box. A reduction in binder pressure both when the shuttle is being picked and when it is being checked, results in less wear on the shuttle and on the entire picking mechanism including the lug straps and the check straps.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction whereby a wide variation in binder pressure may be obtained while still maintaining adequate pressure necessary to obtain protection. To this end and in accordance with one feature of the invention, means has been secured to the loom frame in position to be engaged by the protector mechanism as the lay approaches top center and which increases the pressure thereon until back center is reached, on forward movement of the lay the pressure is decreased in the reverse order and is at a minimum when the dagger reaches the normal position of the frog steel at a location to engage the same in the absence of a properly positioned shuttle in a shuttle box. As illustrated, the means includes an arm pivoted to the loom frame and which is rocked rearwardly by the lay against the pressure of a coiled or spiral spring. The tension of the spring is easily and conveniently adjusted and the position of the pivoted arm may be easily varied to change the point at which the lay is engaged thereby.

Another object of the present invention is to improve generally upon the construction and operation of looms.

With the above and other objects and features in view, the invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a loom in which the present invention is embodied showing the lay at back center;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the lay at front center;

Fig. 3 is a view, partly in section taken along the line III-III of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a view in section taken alone line IVIV of Fig. 1.

Only a portion of a loom has been shown in the accompanying drawings since the loom generally is of conventional construction and detailed description of the parts not shown is not necessary for an understanding of the present invention.

A left hand shuttle box It! is mounted on a usual lay I! which is reciprocated forwardly and rearjacent its inner end; the binder I6 is provided with a swell 28 which is engaged by an incoming shuttle 30 and causes the binder to rock rearwardly about the pivot l8 against the pressure of the spring 22.

An adjustable contact member 32 fixed to the reaches bottom center.

upper end portion of a dagger finger 34 also engages the binder I6. The dagger finger 34 is connected to a protector rod 36 which is normally urged in a clockwisedirectiomas'viewed in Fig. 3, by a usual torsion spring 38. Thus, when the binder I5 is rocked rearwardly, it must move also against the tension of the spring 38. If the shut- 3 tle 3!] fails to enter the shuttle box a, distance sufiicient to rock the protector rod 36 to lift the dagger 43 above a frog steel'g. the loom will be stopped by the usual stop mechanism before, darn- 45; and fine adjustment is provided by the stop.

screw 12 which is adjusted so that the arm will engagethe dagger finger 34 at the desired point in the rearward movement of the lay 12. The

age to the loom or to thewarpjcan occur; The

stop mechanism includes the usual frog 44, which the frog steel 42 is mounted. The frog steel 42 and the end of the dagger 43 are so positioned to each other that the dagger 45 will coirtact the frog steel 42 shortly after the lay 12 the Protecti n. me hanism e re. h a a rea he th s position. the dag e it i l b ra ed nd. will ot con a t e ro t el Th Pa ts so far Q s ribod. are f s oli ons ruotion and need, not. e. u ther described detai s n th oons ruot on nd. o era ion, oi these par s are well known. to tho s l ed he art. -V

In the pr sent em iment or theinv ntion,

If a shuttle has operated t e tension of the torsion spr 3 s duced unt l t is ust sufli en t support the p e o parts in protecting position. Thus only very light pressure is transmitted to the binder l6 by the dagger finger 34. The pressure of the binder s ing .22.. may be d sp ns d with entirely. if o desired, but at most a is only sufiicient to hold the binder 16 in position when the protector mechanism is operated by a shuttle in the opposite shuttlebox. It is desirable to supplement the light spring pressure on the protector rod 36 as I provided by the spring 38 at the time of the reversal of movement of the lay atback center so as to, overcome theiner-tia of the dagger finger 34 and assure that it is, moved to protecting position in the absence of a properly positioned vided to engage the dagger finger 34 during the period when protection is essential. to prevent damage to the loom or to the warp thereon. This mechanism includes a plate 4.5- fixed to a side frame 48 of the loom by a bolt 50 passing through an elongated slot 52 which permits forward and rearward adjustment of the plate 46 relatively to the side frame 48 A vertical stud 54 is fixed to the forward position of the plate 46by a nut 56. A roclger arm 58 is pivoted to the stud 54 and is maintained in position by a nut 66 which is threaded to the upper end thereof. The arm 58 is urged in nter-clookwise direction. as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, by a torsion spring 60 which is secured at one end portion 64170- vertical stud 54 and which has its other end 62 beare ing against the rocker arm 58. The plate 46 is provided with an upstanding plat of projection 1'0 through which 'a stop. screw 12 is threaded to engage the extension or arm 14 of the rocker arm a 5 8 to limit movement thereof under the influence the frogv D ion Qfthe end of the dagger finger 4i! and Q6 4.2 is such that when contact is ade between the. arm 58 and the finger 34, the

end of the "finger 40 just overlies the rear end of the frog steel 42. The pressure of the arm 53 against. the dagger finger 34 is very light at the beginning of contact but reaches a maximum when the lay is at the rearward limit of its movemerit or-"atback; center and the pressure of the arm- 58 decreases as: the lay moves forwardly until th j'arrn 14 engages the, stop 12. The pressure continues until the dagger 40 reaches the frog steel 42. Pressure of arm 58, although it decreases, is suflicient in conjunction with spring 3 to hold 1 1 5 dagger finger 4D in its lowered protecting position in'the absence of the shuttle. In Fig. 1;, the parts are shown with the lay H2 at back center and th maximum pressure applied to he osser nsor 3 When the lay {2 moves rearwardly, the shuttle 3,3 is picked out or almost out of the shuttle box befo e. the rm e a es he dagger fi ger so; and this engagement takes place at approximately top center. The shuttle continues its flight and enters the oppositeshuttle box before the lay reaches bottom center or the midpoint of its for- Ward movement.- At s p int the pressure of the arm 58 on the dagger finger 34 is nearly at its minimum, and the shuttle thus enters relatively. freely into the box. The shuttle at that point, as it enters the box, operates the protection mechanism before theforward end of the dagger finger 49 engages the frog steel 42. Thus, the ger. is maintainod' pro p s t on not only by the protector rod spring but also by the pr sure o h 511171 2: .0 arin in t th rocker arm 53 and pressure of the rocker arm 58. is maintained aga n t the dag er fi ger so until e hutt e has entered, the o s ie y t op a e the ro ector mechanism e shuttle i completely boxed before the lay reaches front center. As a matter oi fact, theshuttle is brought to re t ag in t. the picke when the ay is pproximately one inch irom front center.

, In the present loom, the shuttle is picked out of the shuttle box before the lay reaches top center and before the. arm 58 engages the dag er tests?! I the prot st ooos mo the timing 1 91 hat h arm en a e h dagger finger 3,4; justbefore the shuttle has broken contact with the binder. Thus, when additional pressure is applied to the binder by the arm it will have n e ort o th risk n 9 th sh l si the movement or they shuttle out of the shuttle box is. mosh mo e rapid t an movemen of h binder inwardly of the sh tle box. The pressure of the ram 53 on the a erffinger 34, as above s at d... app oach s ts mamas as the y apo oa s'bao soo oe I Having thu. described the, invention, What is la m d s new n d i ed to. secure by Letters.

tests:

Pa oht'of hlfn. dit

1. In a 10 m. a loom trams. ano illatin l y a shuttle box on said lay, a friction device for retarding the shuttle as it enters the shuttle box, a light spring fixed to the lay and engaging said friction device, an arm pivoted to the loom frame and having one end arranged to engage said lay as it moves toward and away from its rearmost position, and sprin means arranged to urge said arm into contact with said binder to apply maximum pressure thereto when the lay' approaches the rearmost limit of its movement.

2. In a loom, a loom frame, an oscillating lay, a shuttle box on said lay, a shuttle movabl into and out of said shuttle box, a binder in said shuttle box for checking the shuttle as it enters the shuttle box, a spring normally engaging the binder and biasing the binder toward checking position, an arm pivoted on the loom frame and arranged to engage said binder as the lay moves toward and away from the rearmost limit of its movement, and spring means engaging said arm and arranged to resist movement of said binder by said shuttle.

3. In a loom, a loom frame, an oscillating lay, a shuttle box on said lay, a shuttle movable into and out of said shuttle box, a binder in said shuttle box for checking the shuttle as it enters the shuttle box, an arm pivoted on the loom frame and arranged to engage the binder as the lay approaches the mid point of its rearward movement to apply increasing pressure on said binder as it approaches the rearward limit of its movement, and means for biasing said arm to apply said pressure to said spring.

4. In a loom, a loom frame, an oscillating lay, a shuttle box on said lay, a shuttle movable into and out of said shuttle box, a binder in said shuttle box for checking the shuttle as it enters the shuttle box, a protecting mechanism arranged to be moved out of protecting position upon engagement of said binder with said incoming shuttle, an arm pivoted to the loom frame and having a portion arranged to engage said binder and to remain in engagement therewith as the lay moves rearwardly from substantially the point of its movement and returns to said point on its forward movement at which the protector mechanism moves out of protecting position, and means engaging said arm and yieldingly resisting rearward movement of said binder to apply substantial checking pressure to the incoming shuttle.

5. In a loom, a loom frame, an oscillating lay, a shuttle box fixed to the lay, a binder supported in said shuttle box for checking the shuttle as it enters the shuttle box, said binder having a portion normally extending into said shuttle box and arranged to be engaged by said shuttle spring means for biasing said binder to normal position, a pivoted arm mounted on said frame and arranged to be engaged by said binder, means for biasing said arm, and adjustable means for limiting forward movement of said arm under the influence of said arm biasing means.

6. In a loom, a loom frame, an oscillating lay, a shuttle box fixed to the lay, a binder supported in said shuttle box and arranged to engage and check said shuttle as it enters the shuttle box, protector mechanism arranged to be moved out of protecting position upon engagement of said binder with said incoming shuttle, and means on the loom frame constructed and arranged to engage and to apply substantial pressure to the binder during only a portion of the forward movement of the lay to insure that the protector mechanism will be maintained in protecting position prior to complete boxing of the shuttle.

7. In a loom, a loom frame, an oscillating lay, a shuttle box on said lay, a binder in said shuttle box having a portion projecting therein arranged to engage and check an incoming shuttle, means for biasing said binder into checking position, protector mechanism movable out of protecting position upon movement of said binder by an incoming shuttle, an arm mounted on the loom frame and arranged to engage said protector mechanism, and spring means for applying pressure to said arm to cause substantial pressure to be applied to said protector mechanism as the lay approaches and leaves back center to maintain said protecting mechanism in protecting position until a shuttle enters the shuttle box.

8. In a loom, a loom frame, an oscillating lay, a shuttle box fixed to the lay, a binder in said shuttle box having a portion arranged to engage and check an incoming shuttle, means for biasing said binder into checking position, protector mechanism movable out of protecting position upon movement of said binder by an incoming shuttle, a finger on said protector mechanism engaging said binder, an arm pivotally mounted on said loom frame and having portion arranged to be engaged by said finger as the lay oscillates toward and away from its rearward limit of movement, a spring biasing said arm for pivotal movement toward said lay, and adjustable means for limiting movement of said arm toward said lay to determine the point in the rearward movement of the lay at which said finger will engage said arm.

9. In a loom, a loom frame, an oscillating lay, a shuttle box fixed to the lay, a binder in said shuttle box having a portion arranged to engage and check an incoming shuttle, means for bias ing said binder into checking position, protector mechanism movable out of protecting position upon movement of said binder by an incoming shuttle, a finger on said protector mechanism engaging said binder, an arm pivotally mounted on the lay and having a portion arranged to be engaged by said finger as the lay oscillates toward and away from its rearward limit of movement, an adjustable spring for biasing said arm toward said lay, and an adjustable stop arranged to limit the forward movement of said arm to cause said finger to engage said arm as the lay approaches the mid point of its rearward movement.

BARBARA O. W. HO-EBER, WILLIAM T. READ,

Emecutors of the Estate of Harold Hoeber, De-

ceased.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

